Paper pulp refining apparatus



March. 14, 1939. J E. BOND PAPER PULP REFINING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 5, 1936 A, 0 ig INVENTOR r #02 ATTORNEY March 14, 1939. J. E. BOND PAPER PULP REFINING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 114, 1939 PATENT OFFICE PAPER PULP REFINING APPARATUS Joseph E. Bond,

Middletown, Ohio Application November 5, 1936, Serial No. 109,338

1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus adapted for refining or defibering fibrous material such as paper pulp and the like.

One object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for defibering or refining paper pulp in which a substantially uniform effective cutting treatment is given to the pulp by' an annular series of rotatable metal blades cooperating with an annular series of stationary blades on a body member, the blades of the body member being radially adjustable for adjustment of clearance.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for defibering or refining paper pulp and the like, and adapted for effective cutting action on the pulp pieces, the apparatus including provision for reversing the direction of rotation of the rotor member so that when the bars or blades become dulled because of continued operation in one direction, the direction of rotation may be reversed and the opposite edges of the bars are then effective as cutting edges, the dulled edges being sharpened by the burring efi'ect produced by subsequent operation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a refining apparatus of, the character mentioned having provision for reversing the direction the rotation of the rotor to propel the stock from the inlet passage towards the outlet passage.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a refining apparatus of the character mentioned having a comparatively few bed members which are readily adjustable in a radial direction in a main supporting housing, each bed member having a number of spaced metal bars detachably mounted therein and adapted for cooperation with metal bars on a substantially cylindrical rotor member to provide a uniform treatment of stock during its passage from one end of the apparatus to the other.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the appended claim and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a refining apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the centrifugal pump blades;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the reversible connection to the operating motor; and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail sectional views on an enlarged scale illustrating the sharpening action of the reversible cutting blades.

Referring more particularly to the drawings by reference numerals, the refining apparatus embodies a main casing or housing l suitably supported on a base H and containing a number of stationary metal bars or blades l2 which extend in suitable spaced relation around the substantially cylindrical chamber i3. Rotatably mounted in suitable bearings at the ends of the housing [0 is a rotor shaft l5, carrying a number of refining bars l6 which are arranged in an annular series and which are adapted for cooperation with the stationary bars I2 to defiber, refine, and chop or cut paper pulp stock and the like.

In accordance with the present invention the refining apparatusis adapted to produce a large degree of chopping or cutting of the fibers and pulp pieces, and is particularly useful in making pulp stock suitable for manufacture into rather soft bulky material such as blotting paper and the like. However, as will be more fully explained, the relative spacing or clearance distance between the stationary blades and the fixed blades can be readily varied and the speed of op eration can be controlled so that the treatment to which the stock is subjected can be varied as desired. The construction, as will be more fully set forth, is such as to give a uniform treatment to the material flowing through the apparatus, the cutting speed and the character of cutting actionbeing substantially the same throughout the length of the stock passage through the machine. a

It should also be understood that the refining apparatus is adapted for use in the treatment of materials of different kinds and is adapted to cooperate with other pulping or beating machines such as beaters of any usual construction or of a construction employing a number of high speed rotary blades as set forth in my prior application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No.'9'7,958, filed August 26, 1936.

The rotor of the refining apparatus is driven by a suitable motor 20 which is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4 and which is attached to the left-hand end of the shaft i viewed in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The shaft is journalled in bearings 2| which are preferably arranged beyond the end walls 22 and 23 of the housing or casing l0. Formed in the end wall 22 is an inlet passage 24 through which fibrous material or paper stock or the like is supplied to the refining apparatus. This fibrous material passes to the axial inlet opening 25 and it is then carried outwardly to the annular inlet passage 26 provided adjacent the ends of the bars l2 and It, by means of radially extending pump blades 27 which are fixed to the rotor shaft 15. The fibrous material to be treated in the machine is thus forced into the left-hand end of the machine, and as it flows along the substantially cylindrical treatment passage it is cut and chopped by the stationary and rotatable cutting bars. The refined stock then flows out through the discharge or outlet passage 28.

The bars it are preferably fiat metal plates, preferably formed in sections arranged end to end, so as to extend the full length of the cylindrical passage in the casing. They are spaced apart by spacing members 29 of wood or other suitable material. Annular metal retaining bands 30 demountably support the various bars and re-' tain the spacers 29 in position, cooperating with the end plates 3| and 32, which are provided with grooves or other retaining means receiving the ends of the rotor bars I6. As will be apparent from Figs. l and 2, there are a large number of bars on the rotor, extending parallel to the rotor axis.

The stationary refining bars l2, like the rotor bars, are spaced apart preferably by means of wood spacers 35 by means of which the bars are wedged firmly in place, in the several bed members 36, 31 and 38. These bed members are of comparatively large size and are adequately guided for radial movement and are provided with comparatively large guide surfaces so that vibration and noise will be prevented. As shown, three bed members are provided, spaced 120 apart. The bar-carrying portion of the housing extends throughout nearly the entire periphery of the treatment passage leaving only three axial passages of substantial size between the three bed members.

The bed member 31 preferably comprises a metal casting 40 secured by bolts 4| to an outer or extension casting 42. These two portions together provide a comparatively long guide surface at each side, the guide surfaces being of a length about commensurate with the radius of the rotor and preferably somewhat greater than the length of the radius. Between the guided side surfaces, the casting 49 is provided with an arcuate seat portion in which the various refining bars and spacing members are arranged. Extending between the opposed side portions of the castings 40 and 42 is a transverse web 43 to which is fixed a threaded stud 44. The latter is adapted to be moved endwise in a rotatable nut 45 which is suitably mounted for rotational movement inthe supporting housing portion 46. R0- tational movements of the nut 45 are effected by means of a worm gear 41 to which the nut is fixed, the latter being rotated by a worm 48 which is provided on the adjusting shaft 49 which is provided with an operating wheel or handle 50. Rotational movements of the latter cause rotation of the nut 45 and moves the entire bed member 31 in a radial direction-either outwardly or inwardly as desired. It will be understood that the supporting stud 44, nut 45, etc., are provided in duplicate adjacent opposite ends of each bed member as will be apparent from Fig. 1, and it will also be apparent from Fig. 2 that the bed members 36, 81 and 38 are adjustably supported and moved in a similar manner. The three operating or control shafts 49 are interconnected by means of sprocket wheels 52 carried by the several shafts and interconnected by a. common synchronizing chain or cable 53. The several adjustable radial movable bed members are thus moved equally and at the same time by turning any of the operating handles on the adjusting shafts 49. If desired these shafts may be operated by an electric motor in accordance with my prior application Serial No. 97,958 previously mentioned.

Suitable means is provided for rotating the rotor and for readily controlling the direction of rotation. Thus the motor 20 may be a reversible motor, and a suitable reversing switch 55, as indicated in Fig. 4, may be operated to reverse the motor direction and thus reverse the direction of rotation of the rotor shaft l5. In accordance with the present invention the direction of operation should be changed periodically and preferably every couple of .hours as this will maintain the metal bars sharp and thus increase the effectiveness of the cutting and chopping action which is produced as the stock flows through the apparatus. The bars operate with a very small clearance spacing. When the bars are new both edges of the stationary bars l2 and of the rotor bars it are sharp as indicated in Fig. 5. In a short time, however, with the rotor bars operating clockwise, the forward or cutting edge 51 of a rotor bar 16 becomes dulled and somewhat rounded, as shown in Fig. 6, and the rear edge 58 of the stationary bar l2 also becomes dulled, as theedges 51 and 5B cooperate in producing the cutting effect on the material being treated. The rear edges 59 and 69 respectively, because of the compressive and hammering efl'ect produced on them during operation, tend to draw outwardly so that after a clockwise rotation of the rotor for several hours the edges 59 and 60 will project outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 6. Thedirection of rotation of the apparatus is then changed so that the rotor moves clockwise, and the sharp edges 59 and 60 now. are effective in cutting and chopping the fibrous material-being treated.

After the motor operates counterclockwise for some time the edges 59 and 60 in turn will be dulled and rounded, and the sharpness of the cutting effect on the fibers will be impaired and there will be moreof a hammering and rolling action on the fibers. At the same time the edges 59 and 60 are being dulled, however, the opposite edges of these blades are gradually pulled out and elongated and thus sharpened again. By-

reversing the direction of rotation of the apparatus every few hours, the blades can be kept sharp.

With a large number of sharp blades, the stock may be treated so that the bulk of the sheet produced fromthe stock is a maximum, and there will be little hydration and only a limited amount of rolling and brushing action produced on the stock during treatment. The degree of cutting action, however, may be varied by permitting the continued operation of the apparatus in only one direction, or by increasing the clearance distance'between the stationary and the rotatable blades, or by changing other factors such as the speed of operation. With the proper speed of operation determined in accordance with the desired characteristics of the pulp so that the latter will be most effectively treated for anv par- 7 course of treatment in the machine. By'periodically reversing the direction of rotation of the apparatus the blades maybe kept sharp, and regardless of the direction of the operation the material can be forced through the apparatus, even if stock of comparatively high consistency is treated, because the impeller blades are equally effective regardless of the direction of rotation.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which isdeflned in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

Apparatus of the character described comprising a casing having an inlet passage at one end and an outlet passage at the other end and having several radially movable bed members slidably supported therein, a series of stationary bars in said bed members, -a rotor operably mounted .in said casing and having an annular series of metal bars adapted for cooperation with said stationary bars, said rotor being of substantially cylindrical form from one end thereof to the other to pro- .vide a substantially uniform treatment for stock flowing from said inlet passage to said outlet passage, means for simultaneously and positively adjusting said bed members radially equal amounts. to adjust the clearance of the bars, drive means for rotating said rotor, straight radial pump blades outwardly tapering in width from their inner ends and fixed to said rotor and provided on the side of said rotor to operate along an end wall of said casing adjacent said inlet passage said pump blades being of symmetrical form to provide for ,substantiallyequal effect in propelling fluid substantially radially outwardly towards the ends of the rotor bars from said inlet passage regardless of the direction of rotation of said rotor, and means operable to reverse the direction of rotation of 'saidrotor.

' JOSEPH E. BOND. 

